| A | B |
|---|
| Ambiguity | uncertainty of meaning |
| Asyndeton | the omission of conjunctions in a sentence |
| Connotation | the implied meaning of a word |
| Denotation | the literal, dictionary definition of a word |
| Dominant impression | the overall impression created by the writer |
| Euphemism | polite, indirect words or expressions used to replace words or expressions thought to be offensive or harsh |
| Imagery | the use of words or phrases that invoke one or more of the five senses |
| Jargon | the special language of a certain group or profession, such as: legal jargon, medical jargon, etc. |
| Metafiction | fiction that discusses, describes, or analyzes aspects of fiction |
| mood | the atmosphere of a literary work |
| Parallelism | a means of arranging a series of related words, phrases, or clauses |
| Polysyndeton | the use of many conjunctions in close succession in a sentence or sentences |
| Rhetorical question | a question is posed not to solicit a reply, but to emphasize a foregone or clearly implied conclusion |
| Rhetorical strategy | the plan or method by which an essay is organized, for example: compare/contrast, argument/persuasion, process analysis, etc. |
| Setting | the time, the place, the historical context, and the social atmosphere of a piece of literature |
| Structure | the arrangement and placement of the parts of a work |
| Stream of consciousness | a rhetorical technique which allows the reader into the mind and thoughts of a character |
| Syntax | the order in which words are arranged in a sentence and the effect of that order on the creation of meaning |
| Theme | the central message or insight into life created in the story |
| Tone | the writer or speaker’s attitude toward his or her subject |
